Ukraine’s Taisiia Pokusai won the battle of the European Champions in Braila

Ukraine’s Taisiia Pokusai won the battle of the European Champions in the last competition day of the Dracula Open Tournament where the women’s youth finals have finished.

Ukraine’s Anna Kurapatova and Romania’s Denisa Duta opened the women’s youth finals at the minimumweight (48kg) in Braila. The Ukrainian knocked down her Romanian opponent in the first round which determined the final result of this final.

Ukraine’s Kira Makokhonenko has brilliant technical skills but Romania’s Cristina Caldarariu also organized her defence well enough. The Ukrainian talent was punctual in the second and third rounds and she won their final by unanimous decision.

Romania’s Natalia Semeniciuc and Ukraine’s Taisiia Pokusai both claimed already European titles and they met in the most anticipated female final in Braila. The Romanian southpaw was patient and she tried to use her counter-attacking style of boxing but Pokusai had the routine to manage this tactical game.

Ukraine’s Maria Mandyuk won the bantamweight (54kg) final against her teammate, Uliana Ovsepian in a hectic contest. Romania’s first gold medal in the women’s youth finals was achieved by Mirela Cojocaru at the featherweight (57kg) who had the good strategy against Ukraine’s Anna Koloturska.

Ukraine’s Anhelina Nekrasova used her height advantage well against Romania’s Rocio Trigos Bucur and she took the lightweight (60kg) title in Braila. Ukraine’s Yulia Stupakova has strong pedigree from the previous international events and she smashed her smaller Romanian opponent, Daria Mihai.

Anastasia Taran is the defending European Youth Champion at the light middleweight (70kg) and the Ukrainian did not underestimate Romania’s experienced Amalia Tugui today. The Ukrainian was powerful in the attacks and after the standing counts, the Uzbek referee stopped their final in the third round.

Ukraine’s trio, Iryna Onopriyenko (75kg), Yelyzaveta Bezverkhnia (81kg) and Sofia Melnikova (+81kg) won the heaviest weight categories in Braila.